Manifestation of Optimal Route Alignment Selection of Rural Road Using Gis and Least Cost Path (Lcp) Model With Engineering and Environmental Suitability Perspective: A Case Study in Nepal

For the economic growth and sustainable development of any country, the road networks play a pivotal role. Hence, the selection of best route alignment for the road networks becomes even more significant. The Geographical Information System (GIS) integration with the Least Cost Path (LCP) model is used to determine the optimum route to address sustainable road development. In this study, Dupcheswor Rural Municipality, Nuwakot, Nepal and part of Langtang National Park was taken as a study area; and engineering and environmental parameters were selected to create a cost layer. Using the Least Cost Path (LCP) model, fifteen routes were generated in the GIS. All the generated fifteen routes were compared based on cost, and the optimum route was selected based on the least cost. The optimum route in this study was derived from the hybrid theme of engineering and environmental perspectives. This study suggests further research can be done to improve preliminary to detailed road alignment planning and design coordination by considering other factors.